Rail-joint.



"no; 740 1.10 PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903. I J. 3., 3mm.

. RAIL MINT".

APPLICATION BIKER- MLR. 13. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

No. 740,110. l I Patented September 29, 1903. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. ELKER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT,

BEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,110, dated September 29, 1903. Application filed March is, 1903. Serial No. 147,586. on model.)

To all whom it may concernclaims, and in describing the invention in de- Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. ELK-ER, a cititail reference will be had to the accompanyzen of the United States of America, residing -ing drawings, forming a part of this applica at Pittsburg, in the countyof Allegheny and 'tion, and wherein like numerals of reference 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain .will be employed for designating like parts new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, throughout the different views of the drawof which the following is a specification, referings, in which-- ence being had therein to the accompanying Figurel is a detail perspective view of my drawings. improved joint in position. Fig. 2 is an end 10 This invention relates to certain new and view of the joint with the rail in cross-secuseful improvements in rail-joints; and the tion. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the primary object of the invention is to construct fish-plate, which carries the tread portion or arjoint with means for carrying the wheels block. Fig. 4c is a detail perspective view of over the break or joint between the two rails a part of the rails as they are constructed to I 5 in such a'manner as to prevent hammering or receive the tread portion or block carried by battering of the ends of the rails, and the conone of the fish-plates. Fig; 5 is a detail persequent smooth travel without jar. spective view of the other fish-plate, and Fig.

My invention has for its further object to 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a construct a joint which may be readily made modified form of construction of base or chair 20 and which will permit of the ready removal plate.

of the rails when it is desired to replace them To put my invention into practice, I proor to remove for any other cause, and further, vide a base or chair plate 1, which is usually to construct a joint inwhich the rails will be made of a lengthto span two cross-ties 2 and permitted 'to have free expansion and contrac-' is constructed with notched lugs 3 3 on each 2 5 tion independently of the fish-plates. side to receive spikes 4 forsecuring the chair- Briefiy described, the invention comprises plate to the cross-ties 2. The base or chair I a base or chair plate preferably made of a plate is adapted to receiverthe rails therein length to span two of the cross-ties and proand is provided along the .upper edge of each vided with notched lugs to receive the securside with inturned side fianges5, the space 30 ing-spikes for fastening the same to the ties. between the side flanges being sufficient to This base or chair plate is provided within permit of the ready placing of the rail into turned side flanges, and the fish-plates emthe chair by slightly inclining the rail, so as bracing the opposite sides of the rail have the to insert the one edge of the rail-base in outer edge of their flanges or base engaging under one of the side flanges, which will allow 35 underneath the side flanges, whereby the fishthe opposite side of the rail-base to clear the plates are securely held at the base. One of opposite side flange of the chair. To this the fish-plates is provided on its upper edge 'end the side flanges are slightly grooved, as with a somewhat triangular-shaped block to 7 seen at 6 in Fig. 2. 1 I I 5 9o fit in a cut-away portion provided therefor in The space between the upper face of the 0 the side of the rail-tread, which block forms rail-base 7 and the underneath face of the a part of the rail-treadand receives the tread inturned side flanges of the rail-chair is suffiof the car-wheel. The fish-plates are bolted cient to permit of the engagement of the base through the webs of the rails in the ordinary 8 of the fish-plates therein, as seen in Figs. 1 manner, the holes in the rail-web being larger and 2. The fish-plate 9 may be of the ordin- 45 than the diameter of the bolts, whereby to alary type generally employed, being provided low for expansion and contraction of the rails, with openings 10 to receive the securing-bolts and, if desired, one or both of the fish-plates 11. The fish-plate 12 is provided on its upmay be provided with oblong apertures or per edge centrally of the length with a treadtoo openings to this same end. block or portion 14, somewhat triangular in 50 All of the aforegoing construction will be shape, which fits in the cut-away portion 15, hereinafter more specifically described and provided therefor in the treads of the rails then particularly pointedout in the appended 16, at the adjacent ends thereof; The upper face of this tread-block is flush with the treads of the rails, and consequently receives the tread of the car-wheels and carries the same over the break in the rails without jar. As the rails will expand and contract to a greater degree or extent than the fish-plates, it is preferable to provide the fish-plate 12 with oblong holes 18. Each fish-plate on its inner face is made of standard type, whereby the same will engage the underneath side of the rail-tread and the rail-base at the junction of the latter with the web, and thus support the tread of the rails under weight.

I11 Fig. (l I employ the same style of fishplates, but show a modified form of chair, which is made in two sections 17 19, each provided with the inturned side flange, as in the construction aforedescribed. The sections or members 17 19 carry wedge-plates 20 21, respectively, which lie one oirthe other, the upper face of the plate 21 being on a horizontal plane to form a rest for the railbase and the lower face of the plate 20 being on a horizontal plane and engaging with the upper face of a base-plate 22, carried by the member 19, which base-plate at its free edge abuts against a flange 23 of the member 17 and to which it is secured by one or more bolts 24. This form, like the one aforedescribed, may be provided with the notched lugs to receive the securing-spikes for fastening the chair to the cross-ties. By this construction I am enabled to lay the rails with a greater space between the ends thereof, since the tread-block will receive the tread of the wheel and carry the wheel over the joint, and hence I am permitted to employ a rail of greater length than ordinarily, and thus decrease the number of joints in the track. Heretofore the practice of laying rails of twice the length of those ordinarily employed has been tried and abandoned owing to the large expansion of the rails requiring too great a space to be left between the ends. It is to be noted that with a joint of my construction these rails of increased length may be readily employed, as a space of suflicient size may be left between the ends of the rails, and the tread-block will carry the wheels over the joint without jar.

WVhile I have herein shown and described the invention in detail as it is practiced by me, yet in the construction of the same it is evident that various slight changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 a rail-joint, the combination with the rails having a cut-away portion in the outer face of the treads adjacent the ends thereof, of a chair-plate provided at each side with notched lugs to receive securing-spikes, inturned curved flanges carried by said chairplate at each upper side edge fish-plates adapted to have their edges engaged underneath said inturned side flanges, and a treadblock formed integral with one of said fishplates to engage in the cut-away portion in the sides of the rail-treads, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with the rails having cut-away portions in the side of the treads at the ends thereof, of a chair-plate formed in two members each having wedgeplates, each member having an inturned curved side flange adapt-ed to receive the base of the fish-plates, means for securing the two members of the chair together, and fish-plates fitting opposite sides of the rails, one of said fish-plates having a tread-block to engage in the cut-away portions in the sides of the treads of the rails, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH B. ELKER.

\Vitnesses:

A. M. W ILSON,

E. POTTER. 

